Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd Reviews 2.763

Great experience from start to finish with DCBL. I had a CCJ against an estate agency that had refused to engage throughout a lengthy dispute.

I made an enquiry online one evening, and Mike Sedman called the next morning and clearly explained the process of transferring to a High Court Writ of Control. The whole process was straightforward and professionally handled throughout.

The estate agency refused to engage with DCBL, so they arranged a site visit. When the defendant attempted to claim they had filed a stay application to halt enforcement, the agent correctly pushed back and advised that an application alone does not cease enforcement action. They proceeded to list assets, at which point the defendant paid in full on the spot.
From initial enquiry to full payment, the process was efficient and the communication was excellent.

They were very efficient - it took just over a week from the writ being issued to getting payment.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend DCBL - they did exactly what they said they would do, when they said they would do it.

SCAMMERS.... Trying to force me and bully into paying a parking fine for a £170 saying i did not pay parking when I have the proof on my bank statement that I paid for parking, not willing to accept the proof that I have and now way of settling the case other than paying £170 for parking i already paid.

This was so easy from start to finish and very fast.

The team members I dealt with were profession and friendly and the whole process was seamless.

Thank you DCBL

Great experience from start to finish. The team were friendly, professional, and very easy to deal with. They kept us updated throughout and explained everything clearly. The process was smooth and stress-free, and we are very happy with the outcome. We would definitely recommend their debt recovery services.

terrible customer service, asked for a manager and a rude woman told me no unless I told her a good reason she wouldn't raise a ticket for me to get a call back in 72-80 hours time, she then just tutted and hung up. disgusting

I’m absolutely flabbergasted this company can possibly be regulated by the FCA as surely they will have failed on all levels. Threatening letters, no options to appeal, no hold periods offered, state they’ve sent letters but none received. “Can’t Pay, Take It Away” on their letters is extremely threatening & worrying for vulnerable people who could be bullied into paying something they disagree with. The slogan actually relates to a program they appeared in & I’m very surprised this is something they feel proud of. This programme was cancelled & Channel 5 were sued. No empathy, no duty of care. Not customer focused only cash driven. I’ve written to the FCA, my local MP & Watch Dog as someone needs to investigate this company.

Couldn’t even show me proof of the alleged “offence”, just sent threatening letters to my house. Pathetic bunch of scammers, hope the company goes bankrupt or the government puts a stop to this criminal company.

They were really helpful and got money back for us.

Meeting with Dave and setting up required details, very informative, and guided me through the process and potential steps, Jack was very quick in getting the issue resolved, the debt was recovered in 7 days from instruction, thank you DBCL for the quick action and recovery process resolving a long standing issue for me

Nope…to send me a bill that says I have no right to appeal??

Don’t know who sold on my details but am now more than happy to sue you for breach of personal info!

How are you even asking for debts without evidence is beyond me?

And yes I have tons to support that the machines were NOT working on the day in question. You’ve really messed this up!!

Tim and the team at DCBL were outstanding. Without their support, we would have had no chance of recovering our money.

I instructed (DCBL) to recover a debt, which was submitted on 21 July 2025. Enforcement agents attended the defendant’s address on 28 October 2025 and made direct contact. At that point, the defendant stated they had a Debt Relief Order (DRO) which had since passed.

However, it was already known—and confirmed to a manager at the time—that the debt related to fraudulent activity, meaning the DRO did not automatically prevent enforcement. I was assured they had the legal understanding and authority to proceed under the High Court writ.

Despite this, no recovery action was taken on the day. The case then stalled for approximately three months while DCBL reconsidered whether enforcement could proceed, despite this having been clarified beforehand with a Manager.

On 30 March 2026, 8 months after instruction, I was informed that no funds had been recovered and that an abortive fee would be charged. I disputed this, as the failure to recover was due to delays and indecision on their part, not a lack of opportunity—particularly given they had direct contact with the defendant early on.

While the fee was ultimately waived, the overall service fell well below expectations. The delay in action and apparent lack of clarity around applicable legislation significantly impacted the chances of recovery.

Based on my experience, I would not use DCBL again.

Dealt with Tim regarding payment of an aged debt we had with a supplier. Tim couldn't have been more helpful and completely understood the issues involved with the payment due to invoice disputes and incorrect calculations.

DCBL were instructed by Parkmaven Limited to recover an alleged unpaid parking charge relating to a visit to Whitgift Shopping Centre in May 2022. The problem is that I had already paid the parking charge on the day, and I told them so.
I contacted DCBL in August 2023 providing clear evidence of payment including bank statement evidence showing the charge had been debited from my account on 6 May 2022. Despite this, they continued to pursue the debt and ultimately proceeded with court action on behalf of their client, resulting in a County Court Judgment being entered against me in March 2026.
I later discovered through a Subject Access Request that Parkmaven's own staff had been shown proof of my payment as early as September 2022 — before DCBL were even instructed — and had made a deliberate decision to continue pursuing the charge regardless. DCBL pursued this debt on behalf of a client who had already been presented with evidence that no debt was owed.
I was ultimately forced to pay to avoid the damaging effect of a CCJ on my credit record. This was not an admission of liability. I had already paid. I have been forced to pay twice for the same parking session.
I have since complained to the British Parking Association, the Information Commissioner's Office, and my MP. I would strongly advise anyone contacted by DCBL to document all communications, request a Subject Access Request from the original creditor, and seek advice before paying anything.

extremely helpfull

Parking fine received 8 Nov paid it £60 on 11 Nov. Since then been harassed by Parkmaven and then constant letters from dcbl with threats if not paying £170. 15 emails to both companies with proof of bank statement payment and screenshot on parkmavens website stating paid. 15 emails with no reply. I am sure there will be standard reply below to this to contact complains, support etc etc all been done. This company has caused such alarm and distress I will now contact their ceo and take legal action for harrassment. How unprofessional to not acknowledge someone who is looking for an answer as to how this is occuring. Absolutely disgusting.

Had a conversation with the company last week after EuroCar parks have escalated a parking fine have new information so have applead again apparently I can’t do that
The gentleman on the phone for 12 minutes as I stated they didn’t have signage’s up said and so what else when I asked if he was treating me like this because I was a women he said yes he was aggressive and dismissive I asked if we could speak to a manager said yes and put the phone down
I rang back spoke to another member of who was polite but when we asked for the ombudsman that they where under she refused to give me the answer
So I asked for the 2 conversations and they can only find one from the lady
They have answers the questions in my complaint
But I don’t ever expect to been told that he was treating me his way as I was a women or to intimated into paying a fine and being threaten with court

Timely, professional and did what you expect from them - collected our debt in an efficient manner

I went to DCBL with a debt owed to me from a work project. They told me their “letter of payment in demand” strategy always works, so I trusted them and paid what I believe was a high fee. In the end, the other party never paid, and I was left feeling like I’d wasted both my money and my time for an outcome that was nowhere near what was promised.

The service itself was awful. My case handler had no sympathy, no warmth, and no professionalism. I had to keep asking him question after question just to get basic information. He barely engaged, and the energy he gave off was cold and dismissive.

I raised a complaint with their complaints team, hoping someone would take the situation seriously. Instead, I was told the call had been reviewed and that they found “no reasonable grounds” for my concerns. It felt biased, defensive, and completely lacking accountability.

I also felt heavily discriminated against throughout this process. As someone from an Asian background dealing with a company that appears predominantly white, the way I was spoken to and dismissed raised serious concerns for me. The lack of empathy, the tone, and the way my complaint was brushed aside made me feel like I wasn’t being treated fairly at all.

This isn’t my first negative experience with DCBL either. Years ago, when I was on the receiving end of their parking fine communications, the tone was rude and aggressive then too.

I would never advise anyone to go to them for anything. Avoid them completely - the service is poor, the communication is cold, and the complaints process feels like a closed loop that protects their own staff rather than their customers.

Unfortunately, I had a very poor experience with this company. I engaged them to recover money that was owed to me, expecting a professional and transparent service. However, my experience was the complete opposite.

It appears that funds were collected, yet I did not receive what I was entitled to. Instead, I was left feeling that the company prioritised their own financial gain over their responsibility to their client. Communication was lacking, and when I questioned the situation, I was told that no further money could be recovered because the debtor had not adhered to their arrangement.

Overall, I found the service to be disappointing, untrustworthy, and lacking accountability. I would strongly advise others to exercise caution before using this company.